US Open Day 13: Twice the Bridesmaid

Curtain Call

Player: Vera Zvonareva
Nation: Russia
Age: 25
Current Ranking: 8
Notable Conquest: Caroline Wozniacki (1st seed, Denmark)
Tour Page
Player Website
Today's Result: loss to Kim Clijsters (2nd, Belgium) in straight sets

Photo via Telegraph

No doubt, Zvonareva is pretty disappointed today. 6-2, 6-1 has got to be hard to take. But major kudos for showing that Wimbledon was no fluke. Reaching two consecutive slam finals is no small accomplishment. Maybe she can get over the hump in Melbourne. And now, for the second time this tournament, I have a player repeating in this space.


My Tennis Fantasy

Clijsters was my pick to win so I can't complain too much. I can't deny, however, that a Vera versus Venus final would have been great for the alliteration alone. For Tennis Channel's Racquet Bracket, I finished in the top 50%.

My men's bracket is now kaput with Fed going down in the semis. Is Nadal-Djokovic the next best thing to Nadal-Federer? I don't know. It won't inspire the same simultaneously-rooting-for-both-players mentality for me. For some reason, I find it unusually satisfying to watch Nadal beat up on Djokovic and Murray. He is everything they are not and they both need reminding (I have come to find Murray a bit more sympathetic over the past year).

US Open Day 12: Venus

Curtain Call

Player: Venus Williams
Nation: USA
Age: 30
Current Ranking: 4
Tour Page
Player Website
Today's Result: loss to Kim Clijsters (2nd seed, Belgium) in three sets

Miss Williams, of course, requires no introduction. If she's not the most famous female athlete in the world, she's a close second to her younger sister. Venus has won the US Open twice but it's been nine years since her last title. In fact, this represents her best slam result away from Wimbledon in three years. Unfortunately, with Serena out with an injury, the sisters were unable to defend their doubles title together. Venus played only singles this year.

Photo via bestweekever.tv

US Open Day 11: Wawrinka

Curtain Call

Player: Stanislas Wawrinka
Nation: Switzerland
Age: 25
Current Ranking: 27
Notable Conquests: Andy Murray (4th seed, UK) and Sam Querrey (20th, USA)
Tour Page
Player Website
Today's Result: loss to Mikhail Youzhny (12th, Russia) in five sets

Photo: Guardian

Prior to this tournament, casual fans might only have known Wawrinka as Roger Federer's gold medal-winning doubles partner at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In truth, he's a very solid, if unspectacular, pro. His backhand is one of the very best in the sport. He even has one career singles victory over Fed...against five losses.

But in the US Open, he has been the giant killer in taking out Murray (apparently a personal friend) and Querrey. It was disappointing to see him run out of steam against Youzhny tonight. Nonetheless, his quarterfinal run is his career best for a slam.

US Open Day 10: Kanepi, Again

Curtain Call

Player: Kaia Kanepi

Nation: Estonia

Age: 25

Current Ranking: 32

Notable Conquests: Jelena Jankovic (4th seed, Serbia) and Yanina Wickmayer (15th, Belgium)

Tour Page
Player Website

Today's Result: loss to Vera Zvonareva (7th, Russia) in straight sets

This represents a first for me. This is my first time featuring a player in this space in two consecutive slams. Both times, it was an easy choice. It's been another marvelous event for this Estonian on the rise. Her win against Wickmayer was particularly impressive. She lost the first set 6-0, then came back to win. That takes some gumption. Well done. The ranking will get another hefty boost.

US Open Day 9: Stosur

Curtain Call

Player: Samantha Stosur

Nation: Australia

Age: 26

Current Ranking: 6

Tour Page

Player Website

Today's Result: loss to Kim Clijsters (2nd seed, Belgium) in three sets

Photo from Telegraph

It's been a tumultuous summer for Stosur, to be sure. She had a stupendous Roland Garros, only to lose to Italian Francesca Schiavone, aka Cinderella Story of the Year, in the final. Then she crashes out of Wimbledon in the first round. Her showing in the US Open has been outstanding. She played up to her seed and lost to the defending champion. Previously, she'd never made it past the 2nd round in Flushing. One hopes that for her, and for her country, she can make another deep run in Melbourne come January.

Stosur is also one of the world's best doubles players. She is a two-time slam champion in women's doubles and also a two-time champ in mixed doubles. Interestingly, she did not enter either doubles draw in New York, presumably to help her chances in singles.

All Part of My Fantasy

Speaking of the glass-slippered one, Francesca Schiavone matched her career-best finish at the US Open by also reaching the quarters. Alas, she has fallen to Venus Williams and as a result, my women's bracket is on its last legs. The only player left who can help me is Clijsters. She is my champion pick but, as the second seed and defending champion, it seems likely to assume that loads of other people have picked her, too.

US Open Day 8: Gasquet

Curtain Call

Player: Richard Gasquet
Nation: France
Age: 24
Current Rank: 38
Notable Conquest: Nikolay Davydenko (6th seed, Russia)
Tour Page
Player Website
Today's Result: loss to Gael Monfils (17th, France) in straight sets

Gasquet is, without a doubt, one of the most puzzling players on the ATP tour. He is 15 days younger than Nadal and when Rafa was first starting to make a splash, expectations for Gasquet were pretty high as well. His talent is immense and he was seen as the leader of a star-studded French generation.

Obviously, things haven't worked out according to plan. Gasquet still has plenty of game but has developed a reputation as a temperamental player, thoroughly capable of beating himself in a given match. There have also been injury problems and an unfortunate, and eventually lifted, drug suspension.

Nonetheless, there have been patches of brilliance and he has certainly established himself as a dangerous opponent on any surface. One gets the sense that if he were to get hot for two weeks, winning a major is not beyond the realm of possibility. But not this year.


Catching Up with Old Friends

Jurgen Melzer (Curtain Call, Roland Garros Day 13) - Without question, it's been a great summer for Melzer. For the third major in a row, he has turned in a career best finish, this time the fourth round. Once again, it's Fed who takes him out. Melzer is 29. There's likely a lot more of his career behind him than in front of him. One hopes he'll look back on his season with pride.


My Tennis Fantasy

With Kuznetsova going down, I've lost one of my finalists. In fact, now both of my semifinalists in the top half of the women's draw are done. I now have all hopes riding on Clijsters and Schiavone.

Like I said yesterday, my men's bracket is pretty well shot but Federer at least held up his end today. Perhaps he'll help me salvage a little pride.

US Open Day 7: More Than Just a Super Model

Curtain Call

Player: Ana Ivanovic
Nation: Serbia
Age: 22
Current Ranking: 40
Notable Conquest: Jie Zheng (21st seed, China)
Tour Page
Player Website
Today's Result: loss to Kim Clijsters (2nd, Belgium) in straight sets

Ivanovic had a great tournament. The fourth round is her best slam finish in over a year. There has, of course, long been concern that her highly lucrative career beyond the tennis court has been a distraction from her game. Ivanovic, however, is no empty shell. Unlike Anna Kournikova, she has, in fact, won a few singles titles in her career. She's still young enough that winning a slam someday is not such a crazy idea. But, alas, she was no match for Clijsters today.

Naturally, New York Times coverage of the US Open is extensive. Be sure to check out their tennis blog for the event: Straight Sets. In particular, I must credit My Wife for bringing a piece on doubles to my attention: Open House, Day 7: Why Don't Doubles-Loving Fans Watch Live Doubles?


My Tennis Fantasy

Alas, Sam Stosur has brought my suicide pool run to a screeching halt. I had Elena Dementieva for the day and it wasn't to be. I'm still proud of my showing, having made it to the last 40 out of 300+ entrants.

So, it's time to check in with my brackets. I took a bludgeoning blow on the men's side yesterday: Nalbandian, my champion, is done. I can't be too broken up. I knew that he was a long shot going into it. Federer, my other finalist remains. Unfortunately, he's also my last remaining semifinalist with both Andys out. Better luck next time, Squid.

With the women, I'm doing much better. Of my semifinalists, only Martinez Sanchez is done and both finalists are still alive.